Home and Heart
by Lonely Little Angel
Summary: Bella, a homeless orphan, starts at Forks High School as a teacher's assistant to earn money, and as a student because her biggest dream is to graduate. What happens when she meets Edward?
1. Without a Future

New story again, Twilight this time.

I just own the plot.

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**_Without a Future_**

A lone figure slowly walked towards Forks High School. Dressed in black jeans, a dark zip-up hoodie and sneakers the person, who was a girl, looked like any normal eighteen-year-old, but she wasn't. Since three years back she had been homeless.

She did draw some attention – she carried three bags around; a sport bag, its contents a big, green towel, her toilet bag with all of her things concerning hygiene, a plastic carry with spare things of the same kind as in the toilet bag and several pairs of gloves, mittens, thick oversocks and every shirt she had.

She also had two shoulder bags, a black bought one and a red self-made one. In the black bag she had a wallet with all of her money, a few books and writing pads and a pencil box containing three pencils, a pen, two erasers and a pencil sharpener. In the red bag were two pairs of sweatpants and a regular hoodie.

For three years she had been carrying everything she owned around in those bags every day. The amount of time was different for each day, but it was rather needless to say that her shoulders, neck and the area between her shoulder blades often hurt.

Three years ago her family's house had burned down. She had been out that night together with her friends. When she came home, everything that was left was the smoking remains of their house. Firemen, the police and neighbors surrounded her, but she was too absent to notice them. She had lost them, Charlie and Renée. She hadn't listened to the voices around her, so she didn't know if they were dead or injured. But anyway, it didn't matter. She was alone.

Finally she reached the door to the school's front office. The difference between the cold outdoors and the warmth indoors was big enough to cause a gasp to escape from her throat.

A red haired woman who was wearing glasses looked up at the newcomer. "How may I help you, my dear?" she asked in a friendly tone.

"I'm here to see Mr. Greene," the girl answered. "I'm Bella Swan."

A smile spread over the receptionist's face. "Bella, you're awaited," she said. "My name is Shelly Cope. I'll inform Harold immediately." Shelly stood up and walked away, leaving Bella to herself by her desk. Bella didn't mind at all; she was thankful for that she could spend some time somewhere warm.

"You can come in now," Ms. Cope said a few minutes later when she returned.

Bella followed the woman to the room that served as the principal's office. By the desk a man with small eyes sat, and he stood up and extended his hand for Bella to shake it.

"Welcome, Bella," he said, offering her a small smile. He had a stern voice, but right now his tone was light and friendly. "Close the door, please, Shelly."

Ms. Cope nodded and closed the door.

"So, Bella," Mr. Greene began. "I believe you are here because of the post as a teacher's assistant."

"Yes," Bella answered.

"Do you have any specific subjects in mind?" he asked.

"No. If it's possible, I'd like to assist in every subject except for P.E. but at the same time be there as a student."

The principal's eyebrows knit together as he scowled. "That's an unusual favor to ask for. I don't know if it's possible. Why do you ask me of this?"

She sighed. "Mr. Greene, you do know that I'm homeless, I presume? I need the money to survive and I want to graduate."

"Wait a second, what money?" Mr. Greene looked surprised and raised his eyebrows.

"My wage," Bella explained, trying to keep the panic out of her voice. If she didn't get any money, then she'd have to go back to work 24/7 like she had before. Sure, helping at the library during the day and at a bar at night was not so bad, since the librarians let her into the building really early in the morning so she could sleep indoors for a few hours. They even bought her things.

But Bella's biggest dream was to graduate. She knew college was way out of her reach, but there was a slight chance that she could manage to graduate from high school.

"Wage?" Mr. Greene said, as if he'd never heard the word before in his entire life.

"I don't ask for much," Bella said hurriedly, afraid she maybe would lose him. "Just enough so I can survive high school."

Mr. Greene seemed intrigued. "Go on," he said, leaning forward in anticipation.

Bella knew that he didn't genuinely care about her well being, but maybe if she told him how she was and what had happened to her, then maybe he would accept what she begged for.

A longing smile touched Bella's lips and her eyes brightened. "I don't have a future the way things are now, but if I graduate from high school I've achieved my goal in this life." Her smile faded and the light in her eyes died. "I understand if you don't want me here, but I beg you, please let me do this. I want this so much."

Mr. Greene was touched by her words; he was on the verge of tears, actually. "Well…I guess it wouldn't hurt if I gave you this opportunity," he said. "You're free to skip P.E., but you have to attend to all of the other classes."

Bella's heart swelled. "Thank you," she said, her appreciation and gratitude evident in her trembling voice. "Thank you so much."

"Now, I'm afraid I can't give you much money," Mr. Greene said.

"It doesn't have to be that much," Bella objected. "How much can you give me?"

He contemplated this for a while. "Since you're not a real teacher and you'll be a student, too…Will ten dollars a week be enough?"

"Two dollars a day then," Bella said.

"Are you not satisfied?"

"No, no, no, that's not what I meant," she protested. "It's perfect. Can you give me everything on Friday afternoon?"

"Friday is today."

"I mean Friday next week, naturally."

"Of course I can," he said. "So you want all of your money at the end of the week instead of a little every day?"

"Yes. I think it's better that way."

"Very well. I believe we're finished then," Mr. Greene said, stood up and extended his hand again to say goodbye. "I will inform the teachers about your situation and our agreement. I expect you to be in the front office before eight o'clock on Monday morning."

"I'll be here a quarter to eight."

"Excellent, Ms. Swan. I'll see you on Monday. Goodbye." He dismissed her with a slight wave of his hand.

"Did it go well?" Ms. Cope asked when Bella passed her desk on her way out again.

"Yes," Bella smiled. "I'll be back on Monday."

"Have a nice day, dear," Ms. Cope called before Bella disappeared out through the door.

When Bella was outside again, her face retook the gloomy expression she usually wore. It's too hard to look happy all the time when you don't have a home and you carry around everything you own in three bags.

She walked across the school grounds while thinking about where she was going to spend the night. It was October and cold outside, but she didn't think she would be able to find a warm place to sleep tonight. If she would be able to fall asleep at all, that is.

Since she walked and looked at the ground while doing so, she didn't notice the person walking in her direction until she collided with the body and landed on the ground. She was rather speechless when she looked up and saw the face of the person she had bumped into.

"I'm sorry, are you hurt?" the boy asked, concern in his velvety voice. His perfect chiseled face and emerald green eyes held the same consideration. He held out his hand to help her up.

"No, I'm fine," Bella replied with a faint smile as she accepted his offer and took his hand. "Just a little dazed."

"I haven't seen you before. Are you new?" he wondered.

Bella dusted herself off. "I was on a visit today. I'm starting on Monday."

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen," she lied. She didn't want to come up with an explanation why she was in the same class as seventeen-year-olds when she was eighteen years old herself.

His eyes seemed to laugh with joy as he smiled crookedly, which nearly knocked the breath out of her. "Same as me, then. I hope we'll get to have class together."

"Me too." Oh God, why did she say that? She'd met this absolutely gorgeous boy a minute ago and she was already falling for him? Once he found out she was homeless, he wouldn't even as much as glance at her. It was always like that.

"Er, listen, I gotta go," Bella said, even though all she wanted was to stay here with this boy.

A cold wind passed them, lifting Bella's long, brown hair and tousled the boy's unruly bronze locks. Bella instantly knew this night was going to be unpleasant.

"At least tell me your name first," he asked her.

"Bella."

"Edward," he answered with another crooked smile.

Bella's stomach churned at the beautiful sight. "Nice to meet you, Edward." The phrase she uttered was nice and polite, but her voice held traces of sorrow.

"Nice to meet you, too, Bella."

"I'll see you later," she said in a low voice as she pushed past him and hurried off in another direction. She didn't want him to see the tears that suddenly had filled her eyes and now threatened to roll down her face.

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Please review, it's much more fun to write something you know people like.


	2. Not Giving Up

_**Not Giving Up**_

Bella savored the feeling of warm water streaming down her worn-out and cold body. Her tense muscles relaxed and the weariness of her soul was washed away together with the soapy water to the floor in the showers of the girls' locker room in the school's gym.

It was more than an hour ago since school had been over, but Bella used as much time as she could to stay indoors for as long as possible. Every day when she knew that everyone had left the buildings, maybe except for the teachers, she would spend two or three hours, maybe even four, in the locker room; thoroughly washing her hair, doing her homework and washing her clothes by hand.

After standing under the jets of water for a really long time, her fingers and toes looked like raisins. Finally content, she wrapped her dark green towel around her body, bent down and picked up the bottles of shampoo and liquid soap from the floor.

While she waited for the water drops to dry on her skin, she slowly and carefully shaved her legs. This was something she did very rarely; it could go several months between two times. It wasn't necessary, so she didn't think about it. She had far more important things to worry about than the number of hairs on the two things she daily used when she walked.

The hairs under her arms were something different. They were just supposed to be gone. She could definitely live without them.

She dressed again and began to rub her hair dry with the now rather wet towel. She was thorough – the wetter her hair was, the more she'd freeze when she left the building. When she was finished, her hair was a complete mess of damp locks. She methodically brushed her hair to get it to look at least a little decent.

She studied herself in the mirror on the wall. Long, straight dark brown hair encompassed a very pale heart-shaped face with matching chocolate brown eyes. In other words, she was plain.

The image of Edward was conjured in her mind before she could stop it. What chance could she possibly have with him? It was impossible for them to be together. He probably didn't want to either. They were too different.

Then again, they said that opposites attract, and maybe they did, but she didn't have the time to fall in love. She had to focus on the schoolwork so she could graduate. What happened to her after the graduation was unimportant except for staying alive.

She knew that she could have it much more worse than she did, but she couldn't help but to still complain a little about the cold during late fall, winter and early spring. The summers were without doubt the best time of the year; it was warm and it was relatively easy to get jobs at bars and cafés since they always seemed to be out of employees during summer. At least it was like that in the cities. That might get a little trickier in Forks.

Bella remembered the times when she had snuck into public conveniences in restaurants, McDonald's, cafés, even in stores, just to wash herself off a little. A quick hair wash and even quicker to get rid of the worst smell over the washbasin, and then swiftly sneak out again.

She packed up her belongings in her bags, put out the lights and began to walk wherever she was going – she hadn't decided yet. Mr. Greene had given her his permission for her to stay for as long as she wanted, if she switched off the lights and left the buildings before 7 p.m. Bella had no intentions whatsoever to break her promise. Since she became homeless she had learned to take advantage of the opportunities she was given. That knowledge was vital.

Bella rounded a corner and was two feet away from colliding with the person coming from the way opposite of hers. "Edward!" she gasped; surprise in her voice because of his sudden appearance and fear for that he maybe would figure out what state she was in. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question," he answered. His face was as perfect as Bella remembered, but she had no idea that confusion could look so good on someone. Apparently he could. But on the other hand, the way Edward looked, any expression probably would look good on him.

"I had to talk to Mr. Greene," she lied feebly. She was a terrible liar.

Edward raised his eyebrows. "For three hours?"

"Not really," she said slightly shakily. "I had to wait for him because he was late and then we were interrupted a couple of times." It didn't sound completely trustworthy, but still, she was rather pleased with herself for the excuse.

"If that's the case, then how come your hair's wet?" he questioned.

Darn it. He noticed.

"Gym," she tried to explain. "It takes so long before my hair is dry again after I've taken a shower." She smiled a little at him.

He scrutinized her with his deep green eyes. "Why aren't you telling me the truth?" he asked softly. "What are you hiding from me?"

Bella knew there was no point in trying to deny it. Her smile faded. "Even if I am, it's none of your business," she said. She turned around to walk away, but Edward grabbed her arm and wrenched her back. All of her bags fell off her arm and shoulder to the ground.

"Bella, something makes you worried," he said, ignoring her irritated huff because of her dropped bags. "Tell me what it is."

"I'm homeless," she blurted out, completely out of control. She paled before the words even were out of her mouth. She attempted to break free from him, but Edward tightened his hold on her arm to the point of hurting her.

"What?" he whispered.

"Nothing, nothing," she said frantically, furiously shaking her head. "I've got to go."

"You're homeless?" Edward continued as though he hadn't heard Bella's protest.

"Would you please let go of my arm?" Bella pleaded, her voice shrill from panic. This was exactly what wasn't supposed to happen. How could she have been stupid enough to tell him? It just had slipped out before she had the chance to stop it. Her own mouth and power of speech had betrayed her and now she was in a mess, unable to break free and undo the damage. She was doomed.

"For how long have you been homeless?" he asked with sadness in his stunning eyes.

"Three years," she mumbled and lowered her gaze, looking at the ground instead of at his face. She had no choice but to answer his questions, and then she had to make him promise not to tell a single soul about this. If he still did, then she either would have to stand up against the mean, heartless people and their prejudices, or she'd have to move.

And she refused to move. Now when she finally had the chance to graduate, she wasn't going to let that slip out of her grip; not now, not ever.

"What happened?"

"Our house burned down," Bella explained monotonously. "Mom and Dad died. I survived only because I was out with my friends that night."

"How terrible," Edward whispered.

She nodded barely noticeably. It had always been hard for her to stand the sorrow, to endure the pain. It made her empty to think about it, drowned her in guilt. The questions beginning with the words 'what if' always began to spin around in her mind – what if she had declined her friends' offer? What if she had stayed at home, had she been dead and buried by now? What if she had died, but her parents had survived?

Tears burned behind her eyelids, but she wouldn't let Edward see her cry. She had to be strong and not show any weaknesses. She wasn't a coward. Living on the streets had taught her many things; for example that if you give up, you're weak. But if you try and try until you've achieved your goals and dreams, then you're strong. That was Bella's philosophy.

"Is there anything I can do for you? I want to help you."

"Yes," she said and dared to look up, but not into his eyes, just at his face. "Don't tell anyone about this and leave me alone. Don't talk to me. Just pretend I don't exist."

Edward was so surprised that his limp arm fell back to his side. He stared intently at Bella, who immediately had bent down to pick up her bags. He didn't know what he should say.

Bella shot a quick glance at him over her shoulder before she began to walk away from him with hurried steps. She didn't get far.

"I don't want to leave you alone," he called softly after her.

Bella abruptly stopped in her tracks. What did he say? She slowly turned around to face him. "What did you say?" she asked him with big eyes.

"I said that I don't want to leave you alone," he repeated slowly while he took four long strides, and then he stood directly in front of her.

"Why?" she whispered and bent her neck so she could look up at him – he was a head taller than her. "I'm an orphaned, homeless nobody with no chance whatsoever to get into a college. I'll be lucky if I'll be able to graduate from high school."

"Why won't you let me help you?" he whispered back and leaned forward. "I could help you survive, I could get you into any college you want."

"I won't let you help me because I don't want sympathy and I don't want any acts of charity to be what I rely on to survive," she hissed. "I appreciate your kindness, but I don't want your compassion."

"But if I refuse to leave you alone and pretend that you don't exist, then what do you want me to do?" he questioned in the same low voice as before.

"I want you to keep quiet. You're the only student who knows and it has to stay that way." There was a steely glint in her bottomless eyes he'd never seen before. "If you screw this up, I will never ever forgive you for as long as I live."

"I will never tell anyone," he promised, whispering. "I know the importance of keeping a secret."

Bella saw the sincerity in his eyes; heard it in his voice. She believed him, although slightly reluctantly. Trust is something you should be careful with. "Good," she said.

Before she had the time to react, Edward had wrapped his arms around her in an embrace. Bella barely knew what she did when she wrapped her arms around his waist in return and leaned her head on his shoulder, her bags falling to the ground again behind Edward.

She knew what she did was wrong when she inhaled his sweet scent. Just because he was gorgeous and seemed to like her enough to refuse to leave her alone, it didn't mean that she could trust him fully. But for once she didn't mind giving into something, especially not when it involved Edward.

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Please review, okay?


	3. I Need You

Third, rather short chapter. Enjoy.

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_**I Need You**_

She couldn't sleep. It was impossible. The image of Edward's worried face and the feeling of his embrace spun around in her mind like a merry-go-round. It just wouldn't stop.

She was curled up in a corner between a few houses, sitting on her red bag. She was wearing her hoodie and her zip-up hoodie, her jeans and a pair of her sweatpants, her thick socks and her mittens, but she was freezing anyway.

Her mind was a mess. As much as she welcomed the feeling of love to keep her warm inside, she knew it was going to leave her heartbroken. Even though Edward had shown concern towards her which seemed genuine, it wouldn't be anything between them.

Although, he hadn't pushed her away when she had told him she was homeless, so maybe there was a small possibility they could be friends.

Bella squirmed uncomfortably. The ability to sleep sitting was necessary, but it was uncomfortable. There was usually something that kept poking her back or her side, but she could never figure out what it was in the morning.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

Bella opened her eyes and quickly looked up when she heard the hoarse, blusterous male voice. He was shabby; several buttons of his shirt were undone, his clothes dirty and smelly, a little too much stubble, bloodshot eyes and a half-empty bottle in his hand. He swayed a little, so he had to lean against the wall to stand up straight.

"A pretty girl like you shouldn't be out this late," he continued. "Why don't you come home with me?"

"No, thank you. I'm fine," Bella replied monotonously. She had met drunken people before, so she knew that one of the best ways to handle them was to be polite and show disinterest. It didn't always work, and when that happened, it was good if you knew how to run fast.

Unfortunately, Bella was a tad clumsy, so stumbling over her own feet wasn't something unusual.

"Oh, come on, sweetie," the man coaxed and crouched down in front of her, unaware of her recoil. "It'd be a good experience."

"No, thanks," she repeated and frowned upon his breath. Her heart beat faster than normal, hoping he wouldn't hurt her.

The look on his face darkened. "Why not?"

She swallowed nervously. "Because I don't want to."

His fist was thrown out and landed on the side of her face. She hit the back of her head against the wall of bricks behind her. Tears of pain burned behind her eyelids as he spat on the ground beside her shoes.

"Bitch," he hissed, took several deep gulps of the alcohol from the bottle and then flung it at the wall, dangerously close to her head, before he left, his steps echoing loudly.

Bella sobbed and clutched her throbbing head. Her cheek burned and could feel a massive bruise forming, together with a big bump where she had hit her head. Sprayed with the last liquid from the broken bottle, she gathered her things and shakily stood up and walked away.

She kept her eyes on her feet, trying to block the pain out. She was a little dizzy from the blow, so she decided to find a bench or maybe a little patch of grass to sit on, or lie down on.

After a while she passed a house with all lights on. She couldn't help but to stop and look in through the windows. They were a family of four; Mom, Dad, a boy and a younger girl. By their feet was a dog, sleeping under the table. They laughed while they ate the last meal for the day.

Bella envied them so much she was disgusted with herself. Was there any sense in standing and watching the perfect family, the life she never could have?

No, it wasn't. She was just self-destructing. It wasn't healthy. It didn't matter how many times she told herself that she had to leave people like them alone, to free them from her longing stares, but she couldn't. It was like an addiction and she was unable to sober up.

A family was what she wanted, what she needed. Her thoughts drifted back to Edward again. If they in some impossible way could become friends, she would be overjoyed. He would be able to give her the support, company and trust she needed.

She tentatively touched her left cheek with her fingertips and immediately regretted what she had done. She winced at the pain, caused by the feathery pressure.

At last Bella found a bench and she tiredly piled her bags on top of each other and created a somewhat comfortable pillow. At least it was better than to lie flat on the bench. She really had to sleep.

"Edward," she whispered brokenly to no one. "I need you. You have to help me. Please, do it. I need you, I need you so bad."

Since she talked into space, she got no reply. Maybe she was going insane. Everybody knows that if you talk when there's no one there but you, there is no answer to get.

"I need you, Edward," she murmured softly again.

But of course no one answered her.

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This chapter was actually not intended to be in the story in the beginning, but I felt that it was necessary.

Please review.


	4. Sharing the Secret

_**Sharing the Secret**_

How would Edward react when he saw the purple bruise covering her cheek? And most important of all, what would she tell him when he asked her?

Would he get angry or would he laugh at her for being so stupid? No, he wouldn't laugh. Friends don't do that.

Bella winced where she walked towards Forks High School. Did she see Edward as a friend? _Her_ friend? The thought brought a smile to her face, but it didn't take long before it vanished. She wasn't a hundred percent sure that he cared enough for her to be considered her friend. She had figured out that he cared at least a little for her, otherwise he wouldn't have hugged her a few days ago.

But she didn't think his feelings were that deep. Not as deep as hers and that was just plain stupidity. Why did she, the homeless girl, have to fall in love with him, the rich, popular boy?

Suddenly she heard a voice call out her name. She turned around and found herself face to face with Edward.

He gasped. "Bella! What happened to your face?" His eyes were glued to the discoloration on her left cheek; a perfect print of the unknown man's fist.

Bella gulped as quietly as she could. Should she tell him the truth or lie?

Edward made the decision for her. "Don't you dare try to lie to me," he warned, his eyes narrowed.

"Someone hit me," she blurted out, as if his reaction would be less severe if she did so.

His expression darkened. "What do you mean, _someone_ hit you?" His voice was amazing – velvety, yet menacing and dangerous.

"I don't know who he was. I've never seen him before," she explained, her eyes nervously flickering from side to side. "And he was drunk," she added as to explain why it had happened.

"If he was drunk or not has nothing with this," Edward said irritably.

Bella shrugged. "Maybe not. Did you want something special?" she asked politely, hiding her nervousness and growing nausea. "I don't want to be late."

"You're not going to school today with that bruise," he said brusquely. He grabbed her arm and dragged her to a silver Volvo parked on the other side of the road.

"But I need my money!" she protested and tried to make him let go.

He whirled around and glared at her. "What were you going to tell the others in school about the bruise?"

"That I tripped and fell. It's not something unusual for me."

He snorted. "No one's going believe that. Everyone will see that someone hit you. They're going to bombard you with questions and they won't stop until they're satisfied with your answer. And what would you say? You can't say that someone's abusing you."

"Why not?"

"Because I doubt that the one who 'abused' you would let you out of the house looking like that."

Bella lowered her gaze, ashamed, and her pointless struggles ceased.

Edward blanched when he realized what he had said. "Bella, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it."

"I know you didn't," she mumbled, but she was still hurt.

"Please, Bella, let me help you," he whispered. "I know you said that you don't want to rely on charity to survive, but please, _please_, let me help you."

What? He remembered that? "Why? Why do you want to help me?"

He let go of her arm and gently pressed his palms against her jawbones, careful not to touch her sore bruise. "You mean something to me," he murmured, and his eyes were burning with intense sincerity.

Her cheeks colored. What did he mean by that? Did he consider her as a friend of his, or something more? She was confused, both with her feelings and Edward's words.

"You mean something to me, too," Bella whispered. "And I guess that…that you could help me a little bit. But not after graduation."

He smiled. "I'm glad. Let's go home now. We'll stay there till tomorrow and see what happens, okay?"

She nodded slowly, hesitantly.

They climbed into the car. Edward turned the car around while Bella looked around, astounded and misplaced. What was she doing here? She didn't belong in his car, in his world. Yet he welcomed her with open arms. What was he thinking? He didn't make any sense.

They drove in silence. There was no need to break it with words. The both of them were content in each other's presence. Bella, however, was nervous. What if someone was at home and he or she wouldn't like her?

"Edward," she said in a low tone of voice, "will there be anyone in your…house besides us?"

"Yes, Mum's home. How so?"

"Well…I thought that maybe she wouldn't like me," she confessed; her cheeks red.

Edward chuckled. "I'm sure she'll love you. In fact, I've never met a person she doesn't like."

"Oh." The blush on her cheeks deepened. It made her bruise sting and it looked weird. "What's your mother like?"

"She's very kind, affectionate and understanding. She always lets me make my own decisions. If I'm happy, she's happy."

As much as it hurt her inside, she was starving for details about his family and their happiness. "What about the rest of your family?"

He looked at her. Her eyes shone with curiosity and she leaned towards him in eagerness. He smiled, albeit somewhat sadly. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything."

He inhaled deeply. "Dad's a doctor at the hospital. He supports me in everything I do, but still tells me what he thinks about the present matter. Both my parents are very caring."

Bella nodded fervently. "Go on."

"Emmett, my brother, is two years older than me. Sure, he gets on my nerves sometimes, but he's a really great person and brother. Then there's Alice, and she's a year younger than me. I guess you could say she's my best friend. We're really close, but we don't everything together."

"Doesn't your mother work?" she wondered.

"She's an interior designer. She loves her job as much as Dad does, but she works a lot at home. She says she feels best that way."

"Where are Alice and Emmett?"

"Emmett goes to college together with his girlfriend Rose, but they're here right now and Alice spent the night with her boyfriend Jasper, so she got a ride from him."

Bella sat still and silent, taking in everything he'd told her. "Your family seems lovely. I can't wait to meet them."

"They're going to be thrilled," Edward assured her as they turned onto an unpaved road which Bella guessed led to his home. He chuckled when he saw the look on her face. "You're surprised?"

"It's huge," she breathed. She knew the Cullens were rich, but she never could have guessed they were _this_ rich. She held her breath as they entered the white mansion. She didn't know where to look.

"Edward? What are you doing here? I thought you were going to school?" a female voice said.

"Hello, Mum," Edward greeted. "Something came up."

"What would that be?" Edward's mother gasped when she saw the contusion covering Bella's cheek. "Oh, dear, what happened to you?" she asked worriedly and walked over to the poor girl.

"Someone hit her," Edward answered instead of Bella.

"You poor thing," the woman said sadly. "Carlisle!" she called over her shoulder. "Come down here quickly, please!"

"What is it?" A blond, slender man joined his wife's side. His eyes widened. "That's a big bruise. It looks like someone hit you."

"That's what happened," Bella confirmed.

"Come on, we have to put some ice on that," Carlisle said and held out his hand for her to take it. When she accepted, he added, "Edward, take care of her bags. Esme, do you think you could find her some new clothes?"

Edward and Esme nodded. Edward freed Bella from her bags and then walked up the stairs with his mother.

"Now, would you come with me, please?" Carlisle asked. It was pretty obvious he was a doctor.

"I'm Bella. Edward told me you're a doctor. He told me about his family and how important you are to him, too."

Carlisle looked mildly surprised. "Why did he do that?"

"I asked him to."

They walked into the kitchen. Bella sat down on one of the chairs while Carlisle walked over to the freezer to get the ice, which he wrapped up in some cloth, then gently pressed it to her cheek. "Why?"

Since Edward knew and she probably was going to stay here for a while, she might as well share the secret with the rest of his family. "I'm homeless and an orphan," she explained. "Last night a drunk hit me when I didn't want to follow him back to his place."

"You made the right choice," Carlisle praised her. "But why did Edward bring you here?"

"He wanted to help me and this time I let him. He's promised to help me through high school, but I don't want any help with college. I don't mind if I can't go."

Carlisle smiled. "You're a brave girl, Bella, and independent. Most people in your situation would gladly accept any help they're offered. How old are you?"

"Eighteen."

"Wait a minute," Edward's upset voice said. "You told me you were seventeen."

"I lied. That was before you knew, and it just would've been a bother to come up with a reason why I'm older than the rest in my year."

Edward, who realized she had a point, shrugged and shook his head slightly.

"Here you go, dear Bella," Esme smiled warmly and handed her a heap of clothes. "They're all mine, so I'm afraid they're a bit big."

"Thank you very much, Mrs. Cullen," Bella thanked sincerely.

Esme laughed and pushed a few strands of her curly caramel-colored hair away from her heart-shaped face, her dimples showing. "Please, Bella, call me Esme. Mrs. Cullen makes me feel so old."

Bella blushed and it created a weird sense of feeling against the ice. "Esme."

She smiled brightly.

"Well, Bella, I think that's good for a while. Why don't you take a shower and change your clothes?" Carlisle suggested. "I'd like to discuss something in private with Esme."

Bella was a little worried, but Carlisle's smile soothed her. "Sure. Edward, will you show me the way?"

"Of course. Just follow me."

Carlisle and Esme shared a warm, loving look at the sight of their beloved youngest son together with Bella. "By the way, Bella, what happened to your parents?"

"They're dead," she answered curtly and picked up her borrowed clothes.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. There's nothing you can do."

"You're right," Carlisle said slowly, but there was an unknown undertone in his voice she couldn't name.

Edward led Bella to a bathroom upstairs. "You'll be okay now, right?"

"Yeah. I just…I just need to catch my breath a little. It's a bit overwhelming, this," she said, stumbling slightly over her words.

"Yeah. You'll be all right. We'll take care of you." He hesitated for a fraction of a second, then he put his hand on the back of her head and kissed her forehead. "I'll take care of you," he whispered with clarification.

Bella looked up at him with wide eyes. She smiled at him when the corners of his mouth twitched. "Thank you," she said, then went into the bathroom and closed the door. If she had waited another second, she would have seen the look of longing on Edward's face.

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What could it be that Carlisle wants to discuss with Esme? You'll know in the next chapter, which will be posted sometime during next week, maybe as soon as on Monday.

Please review.


	5. Home, Love and Family

Last chapter! Enjoy as Carlisle and Esme reveal what they had to talk about in private in the previous chapter!

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_**Home, Love and Family**_

Bella didn't know for how long she had been in the bathroom. Luxury was something she extremely rarely experienced, and what she considered luxury was ordinary boring to everyone else, so taking a shower in one of the Cullen bathrooms was a royal event to her.

She giggled every time she realized how ridiculous she sounded, but it was in company with a dull pain in her heart. She wasn't a part of this and it would be a miracle if she somehow would in her future.

If she lived that long, that is.

Someone knocked lightly on the door. "Bella?"

Bella winced in surprise at the sound of the unknown female voice. "Yes?" she squeaked.

She heard a rumbling chuckle. "I think you scared her, Rose."

"Stop it, Emmett," the other voice sighed, and Bella instantly knew they were Edward's brother and his girlfriend. "Bella?" she repeated. "Are you all right?"

Bella opened the door and was met by a girl with long, wavy pale blonde hair and violet-blue eyes. She was gorgeous and probably was a model, but she seemed nice and she smiled warmly at Bella. Emmett, who stood behind her, was very tall and very muscular with dark, slightly curly hair. He would've looked pretty frightening if it wasn't for the goofy grin on his face. He reminded her of a big and living teddy bear. "I'm all right."

Emmett's grin grew. "You've been in there for five hours now," he said. "Dad told us to make sure you hadn't hit your head and drowned or something."

Bella blinked, shocked. "Five hours?"

"Yup."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I must've lost track of time," Bella apologized, afraid that they maybe were angry with her.

Emmett let out a booming laughter. "You don't have to worry. C'mon now, everyone's downstairs waiting for you."

"Everyone?" Bella questioned nervously, twisting her hands.

He laughed again and then picked her up, carrying her like a toddler. "You look pretty, by the way," he complimented her while he began to walk down the stairs.

"Thank you," Bella blushed. In her own opinion, she thought she looked mediocre in Esme's blue blouse and jeans in a darker shade.

"You don't seem to know your own attraction, Bella," Rose pointed out, shaking her head. "You are pretty, beautiful even, but you have to believe in yourself. Self-confidence is a big part of one's personal charm, as long as you don't overdo it."

"That's easy for you to say. You're stunning. You're a model, aren't you?" Bella said accusingly.

Rose's laughter sounded like tinkling bells. "Actually I'm not. I'm a mechanic."

Bella raised her eyebrows. "A mechanic?" she repeated as if she'd never heard the word before.

"Don't look so surprised," Rose giggled. "I did have modeling career before, but I quit. Cars are my big passion and it's much more fun to work with cars than to walk back and forth on a catwalk or posing for pictures. I love fashion and shopping, though."

"I told her she could pose in front of a car, but she didn't want to," Emmett told Bella.

Rose snorted. "You didn't exactly say 'pose in front of a car'. Your exact words were 'Babe, why don't you combine modeling and cars and let someone take pictures of you when you're washing the car?'. Then you wanted the pictures yourself."

Emmett chuckled. "Well, I'd love to see you do that."

"Pervert."

Bella smiled when they walked into the kitchen. Except for Edward, Carlisle and Esme, there were two more people standing around the kitchen table. She assumed they were Alice and Jasper. "Thanks again for the clothes, Esme."

Esme smiled. "You're more than welcome, my dear."

As soon as Emmett placed Bella's feet back on the floor, the petite girl with black hair, short and spiky, and pixie-like features skipped over to Bella and gave her a warm, big hug. "Hi, Bella!" she greeted enthusiastically and pecked her cheek.

"Hi, Alice. Hi, Jasper," Bella said, smiling shyly at the lean boy with golden honey blond hair who remained on his spot beside Carlisle. He smiled back and helloed.

Alice seemed delighted with the fact that Bella already knew her name. She clapped her hands together. "Oh, Bella! You must come with me and Rose on a shopping spree!"

"Alice, not yet," Carlisle warned. "Let me talk to her first."

Bella sought Edward's eyes. She found them and she saw nothing but excitement and expectation in them. What did this mean? What were they planning to do?

"Come here, Bella," Carlisle asked with the same light in his eyes as his son. "There's something we'd like to show you. You don't have to do it if you don't want to, but we'd be very happy if you'll accept it."

"Overjoyed," Alice interjected eagerly with her silvery bell-like voice. She couldn't stand still; instead she bounced up and down where she stood like an excited three-year-old.

"Come on, Bella." Carlisle held out his hand.

Bella slowly walked up to him, questioningly looking into his kind eyes. The color was a mixture of blue and green, sort of reminding her of the tropical water surrounding a coral reef.

"Look at the table," he instructed.

She suppressed a hysteric giggle – he wanted her to look at the table. She did. At first she didn't understand what the papers meant, but then she saw her name written on it together with Carlisle's and Esme's beautiful signatures. Her eyes widened, her lips parted and she let out a sudden exhalation she didn't know she had held inside.

"We want to adopt you, Bella," Esme explained softly and tenderly caressed her cheek.

Bella didn't know what to say. The only thing she could do was to stare at the papers in front of her. Her mind was completely blank.

She was silent for such a long time that worry appeared in Carlisle's eyes. He recognized the look of shock on her face and was about to press his hand against her forehead, when she finally opened her mouth.

"Yes," she croaked hoarsely. "I accept it."

Relief immediately replaced the worry Carlisle felt. He smiled together with his family and put an arm around his wife's shoulders. Alice howled with joy, jumping around, causing laughter to break loose from Jasper, Rose and Emmett. Edward smiled from ear to ear, his emerald green eyes dancing with happiness.

Tears filled Bella's eyes. This was her new family.

Edward saw her cry and wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. "This is your home now," he mumbled against her hair

Bella clung to him as if her life depended on it. She absorbed the heat of his body, clutching at his back and pressing herself to him.

Time seemed to stand still when Edward gently gripped Bella's chin, tilted her head up and then pressed his lips against hers. When he withdrew slightly to look into Bella's chocolate brown eyes, his own eyes told her he was going to give her the love she missed.

"I love you," he murmured softly.

"You know, Edward," Emmett smirked, "if you get together with Bella now, that means it's incest."

Rose smacked his arm and rolled her eyes. "They're not related by blood, so it's _not_ incest."

"I don't care," Edward said, resting his cheek on the top of Bella's head. "I love her."

"I love you too," Bella whispered, only loud enough for Edward to hear, and he smiled.

"Bella! We must get you new clothes right now!" Alice said, tugging at her sleeve.

"Get lost, Alice," Edward muttered. "Don't interrupt my hugging time with my Bella."

Alice immediately let go. "That was so cute!" she squealed.

Jasper grabbed her arm and dragged her away. "C'mon, let's leave the love-birds alone," he smirked. They were followed by the rest of the Cullen family, leaving Edward and Bella alone in the kitchen.

"Why do you love me, Edward?" Bella whispered. "When you can have anyone you want, why do you choose me?"

"You're the only one I want. I fell in love with you the moment I saw you for the first time. You have something the other girls don't."

"What is that then?"

He pressed his forehead to hers. "Natural beauty," he answered. "A goal, a dream and something real to live for."

Bella lightly touched his face. "And you're giving me another reason to keep going and not give up," she said sincerely. "Thank you, Edward."

"You don't have to thank me. I'll do it as many times as I have to," he smiled with twinkling eyes.

"Just promise me one thing," Bella said.

"Anything."

"Don't spend more money than you need on me, or else I'm going to feel guilty."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Why would that make you feel guilty?"

"Because I can never give you something back to show my appreciation. It's not enough."

"Your presence is more than enough," Edward promised. "In fact, we should shower you with gifts to show _our _appreciation."

Bella blushed with embarrassment and joy.

There wasn't much left to say between the two of them for now. They already knew what they felt for each other. It was something they couldn't deny even if someone would press a gun against their temples and threaten to shoot them if they didn't lie and said that they didn't love the other one.

They just couldn't. It was against the laws of love.

* * *

I had to come up with Carlisle's eye color since we don't know that.

Thanks to everyone to added this story to Story Alert, Favorite Story and reviewed! If you haven't reviewed yet, please do it now!


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